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Apple Bans Redskins Name From App Store

ICTMN Staff

9/19/13

Apple Inc., the company that created iTunes, has banned the word Redskins from its Canadian app store. But, its competitors the Redskins App on Google Play and the Washington Redskins Official Mobile App still allow the word to be used on their platforms.

According to a post written on OgokiLearning.com, the company says the name violates two sections of its policy on apps. Section 19, which relates to religion, culture and ethnicity, says, “apps containing references or commentary about a religious, cultural or ethnic group that are defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to expose the targeted group to harm or violence will be rejected.”

And section 14, which states that defamatory apps likely to place targeted individuals or groups in harms way will be rejected.

It is unclear if Apple’s Canadian app stores have a different policy than it’s US stores, but the First Nation App developers praised Apple’s decision, according to NBCWashington.com. “We as Nation App developers applaud Apple Inc. in taking a stand and recognizing that Native Americans and First Nation people are not ‘Redskins,’” the company said. “We are distinct people with the same rights as we afford to every man woman and child who set foot on this earth.”

Darrick Glen Baxter, president of Ogoki Learning Systems, also weighed in on his company’s web site OgokiLearning.com.: “There is nothing more important than being recognized as a people and being treated as a human being.”

Apple Inc. joins the growing list of media companies that also oppose the Redskins name, including Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and The Washington Post.

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Hopefully there will be more companies that ban the Redskins name so that Snyder eventually realizes that NEVER (in caps) changing the name can only be injurious to his franchaise.
I've personally been downloading REDSKINS apps so that I can comment on the derogatory nature of the name. I promptly get rid of the apps afterwards. The comments show up in the review of the app for fans to see that NDNs aren't "honored" by the team's name. I also comment on YouTube videos about the name change. Of course there are die-hard fans who cling to "the good old days" (when you could buy a Black man and still hunt Indians and Mexicans).

To Butts Larue: They can HAVE the App - I'm not trying to stop someone from finding out how their favorite team is doing - they just need to change the name.
I'm often confronted by rabid fans who state that "it's just a name" and I shouldn't be offended. They have no answer when I say, "Well, if it's just a name, why can't it be the Washington Oysters?" That won't offend anyone.

To Butts Larue: They can HAVE the App - I'm not trying to stop someone from finding out how their favorite team is doing - they just need to change the name.
I'm often confronted by rabid fans who state that "it's just a name" and I shouldn't be offended. They have no answer when I say, "Well, if it's just a name, why can't it be the Washington Oysters?" That won't offend anyone.